Fortune fails to smile on Arcot’s Smith
Jun 29 2009 by Tim Taylor, The Journal
HOME club player Darren Smith was the surprise packet of the Northumberland Championship, leading the world No 18 amateur, Chris Paisley, at the halfway stage of the 36-hole final at Arcot Hall.
A lucky break at the eighth hole in the afternoon turned Saturday’s contest in favour of Paisley, who won 3&2.
Five days earlier, Paisley triumphed in the Northumberland and Durham Open at Tyneside.
That was the second time Paisley had bloodied the nose of the region’s professionals, having won the now defunct Rock tournament in 2007. At Arcot, Paisley was the first to agree Smith had stolen the limelight in the county amateur event. In the semi-finals on Friday, Smith eliminated one of the most talented players in the region, Bamburgh Castle’s Garrick Porteous.
Porteous, a star turn in his England junior days, had enjoyed his own special moment in winning his first round match in the county championship 4&3 on Wednesday.
This was after having driven down from Goswick, where earlier in the day he had won through to next week’s final local qualifying for the Open.
For the county’s dark horse Smith, victory over Porteous is another factor which puts into context his sudden impact on the higher levels of the county scene, now he has been called up for his debut against Cheshire in the Northern Counties League match at Portal on Saturday.
One up after 18 holes in the final against Paisley, he needed fortune to be smiling on him when his rival’s putting slipped into top gear after lunch.
Yet the turning point arrived not only because Smith missed a six-foot put at eight, but also because of what happened after Paisley found himself in rough, 20 yards from the flag with his target area severely restricted by a tree.
Paisley got his line spot-on but not his length, avoiding the tree by an inch but over-hitting his sand wedge.
The shot rattled against the pin and dropped into the hole. Smith came away from the green two down instead of all square. Paisley has taken up his exempted spot in Open qualifying in Scotland next Monday rather than play for The Journal Dream Team against the league golfers of the North Durham Union at Durham City?
“Yes, I admit it,” he joked “I have no sense of priority!”
RESULTS
Last 16: C Paisley (Stocksfield) bt W Robson (Bellingham) 3&2, K Gray (Slaley Hall) bt P Ridden (City of Newcastle) 5&4, P Caldicott (Arcot Hall) bt I Donaldson (Northumberland) 2&1, C Penny (Morpeth) bt E Wilson (Goswick) 3&2, D Smith (Arcot Hall) bt S Brooks (Blyth) 3&2, J Todd (City of Newcastle) bt N Elborn (City of Newcastle) 3 &1, G Porteous (Bamburgh Castle) bt S Anderton (Backworth) 4&3, A Minnikin (Westerhope) bt L Fairbarn (Goswick) 3&2.
Quarter-finals: Paisley bt Gray one up, Penny bt Caldicott 2&1, Smith bt Todd 4&3, Porteous bt Minnikin one up.
Semi-finals: Paisley bt Penny one up, Smith bt Porteous 2&1.
Final: Paisley bt Smith 3&2.
